FOREIGN crooks living on Tyneside have been busted in a series of raids.

Illegal immigrants, passport fakers and bogus workers were targeted in the operation, staged by the newly formed North East Immigration Crime Team (NICT).

The Chronicle joined officers as they made a string of early-morning busts at houses across Tyneside. And we can reveal the number of overseas villains found in the region during the last year rocketed by 80% to more than 4,200.

We watched as a 34-year-old Congolese man was led away from a home in Elm Grove, Fawdon, Newcastle, on suspicion of using phoney documents to get work.

Officers also searched his property and recovered a phoney passport and counterfeit National Insurance card, as well as other documents.

In Walker, Newcastle, Lindiwe Mkala was picked up and cautioned after being found in possession of an illegally obtained Zimbabwean passport.

The officer leading the operation, who the Chronicle has agreed not to name, said: “Acting on information, we carried out an operation that has helped us take criminals involved in immigration and other crimes off the streets.

“Neither we nor the public will tolerate illegal activity in the North East, and we will take action against those believed to be responsible.”

NICT was formed as the UK Border Agency joined forces with the region’s police forces to focus on foreign crooks who have committed immigration crimes and offences.

It aims to crack down on the production, sale and use of bogus travel documents, which overseas villains use to enter Tyneside, then gain work once here.

Also targeted were two Zimbabwean women at addresses in Newcastle’s West End, who were arrested on suspicion of having fake passports.

And in Gateshead, a South African woman was arrested on suspicion of using forged Home Office paperwork to gain employment in the area.

The arrests come on the back of a string of court cases, which saw people jailed for immigration crime offences, having been picked up by the NICT team.

Nigerian Victoria Oladayo was jailed for 12 months for being in possession of a phoney Dutch passport, while Congolese Kangwa Amuly-kyanga got a 26-week stretch suspended for two years for using a bogus Portuguese passport.

And Iranians Abdul Hamid and Wahad Muttar were both locked up for six months for having counterfeit travel documents.

UK Border Agency assistant director of operation in the region Colin Flynn said: “Foreign national criminals and those involved in breaking immigration and criminal law will have nowhere to hide in the North East. There are also currently six people on bail for similar offences.

“The NICT team will carry out operations week-in, week-out and my message to these people is simple – you will be caught and prosecuted.

“Last year, we deported the highest number of foreign law-breakers – more than 4,200. This year, we will go on to deport more overseas criminals than ever before.”